Gunnison Spodefest

[Road/Dirt Rash]

Thats what we do and it is the same thing. There seems to be no hard fast rule about distances from the roads and streams as we camp right on the middle quartz creek,its about five feet in front of my camper, and the road is on the other side, a good hundred feet away. They do watch the two week rule pretty close and for fires when they are banned. We get up to eight motor homes tucked away in the woods at that spot, and usually six more up middle quartz road three miles at Deppler Park. They come thru the camps to be sure that all motorcycles and four wheelers are tagged or have permits, plus spark arrestors. The permits are state so there is a little confusion as to who is checking. They really are aggressive on checking and cruise the roads for a visual all the time. We spend almost the whole month of July there, just after the fourth the woods get empty of the locals and get taken over by outlanders (us). Pitkin is a really freindly place to stay. There are a few lodges there and a few in Ohio City a ways down the road. Any one there in July, feel free to come by the OKIE Dirt Riders camp on Middle Quartz Road east of Pitkin. We usually have the first spot on the right after turning up the road.

 

[geremacheks]

R/D Rash: Great info.

How do you handle fueling. All from base camp, or do you take some long bike rides and find fuel somewhere else?

Are you losing substantial power from your bikes because of altitude?

And how often is that "county mounty" around checking on bike insurance? If we are riding off road, why do they think we need liability insurance, or is that a stupid question?

 

[Lorin]

Myself and about 8 others are making the trip to Pitkin, CO from Oklahoma City and Texas for the week of July 28 through August 3rd. We rented some cabins in Pitkin and will ride most of the week. Anybody from the area that wants to meet up and ride with us is more than welcome to do so. E-mail me if interested in setting up times and places.

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

Ahh Lorin, that's just the time we are leaving. Suppose you will be in the same place as last year??
Gere, we usually make a loop which involves a place for lunch, and/or Gas. Tincup does not sell gass any more, but eleven miles dopwn the road at Taylor, they do. In Co. one must travel the two tracks to get to the trail entrances. The cops are not usually a problem, unless you are speeding, riding on the highway, or tresspassing. As to the Jetting, one must jet down to get clean running bikes. Yes, you will hear some people brag that their four or two stroke didn't need jets. then you see them pushing at the high altitudes. It's not uncommon to be riding at eleven to twelve thousand feet there. The trails are usually in the tree line but do on occasion go above it. In a tight switchback on a sixty degree slope is no place to wish you had done your jetting. The fabled treeline trail starts at a point above Tincup and runs north twenty to thirty miles, and it is all above eleven. Jet down about 30 percent from sea level. When I first started going up there, I would take a piece of atomotive wire and pull a strand from it and just stick it thru my main jet from the bottom, then wrap what was left around the jet to keep it in place. Works fine, alltough I got a lot of scoffing from some people. There are usually two sizes of strands inside of wire. The really fine ones can be used to fine tune by twisting them together to make a thicker wire. All it does is displace space in the jet, same as making it smaller.

 

[Lorin]

Yep Road Rash, same cabins as last year. I think we rented the two largest ones and a smaller third cabin. Keep in touch as the time gets closer.

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

Ok Lorin. I need to recant the amount to downsize jets, It should be about ten percent. Your local dealer can tell you what jets to use a set altitudes, if they will.

 

[HomeMadeSin]

For those that have ridden the area, what is the terrain like. For example, is it hard ground with lots of protruding rocks like Tincup Pass?

I'm just getting real frustrated with my CR500 and the lack of traction, etc. Albeit I've only ridden the Pueblo Motor Sports Park here, that is the worst riding I've experienced. I'm used to east coast hare scrambles.

I hope that the Gunnison Spodefest has more to offer, as I am sure it does. I'm just wrestling with whether or not to get a more tame (and CO suitable) ride.

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

A CR500 can be a handfull. I don't know much about them, but they would surely benefit from added flywheel weight, and a little lower compression ratio. If you really wanted to get a handle on it, put a smaller carb on it too. If you rode Tin cup, side to side, then you saw a good sampleing of the rocks. The trails tend to be not infested with the kind that stick out of the ground, but do have some loose rollie rocks some times. Of course, there is no hard fast rules as to the rocks, just ride sesable. If you run off the trail, allways get back on some how. DO NOT try to angle off down thinking you will run into it somewhere below. Some places scare me sh!tless, but most is fun.

 

[super rat]

I'm just getting real frustrated with my CR500 and the lack of traction, etc. Albeit I've only ridden the Pueblo Motor Sports Park here, that is the worst riding I've experienced. I'm used to east coast hare scrambles

Hey HMS you should go out to PMI on a race day it's awsome. It's amazing what a tractor and some water do for that place. There is a race Sunday if you go stop by and say hi, 702 on a Zook. I know what you are saying I'm from NJ and the dirt out here sucks, it's like moon dust. You might want to check out Lakewood, they brought in lots of road sand it's real good when they water it, usually on the week ends.

 

[HomeMadeSin]

R/DR: I've seen on the forums a lot of people using flywheel weights on 500's. I may try that if I can't get it tamed (and before I trade-down to a slightly smaller 4 banger). I can't belive I just said that.

Super Rat: I was out at PMI on Friday night. there were watering the track so it was off limits. I rode down the powerlines for a while. With the 500, the traction would be as bad with hard snow pack. I did a limited number of races in the virginia hare scramble series (Peninsula 100, etc). Narrowed the bars on a '84 CR250 and threaded the needle in the tight stuff. this hard stuff makes me wonder if I lost all riding ability (coupled with the massive feel of the 500 - its been 16 years!).

I passed thru Rampart Range today. It looks a little better. I'm gonna try that again before I give up hope on the 500 and get 400ish 4 banger. Oops, there I go again.

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

Well. if you decide to trade down, take a good look at the 400 electric models. The power will be disapointing, but you will soon learn the joys of four stroking it, and you will get used to it. by

 

[Lorin]

a 500 in Colorado is the ticket. With the subsequent loss of horsepower due to altitude, the extra bore, etc., makes the bike a good choice. A flywheel weight would help, along with a larger rear tire. As to compression, most 500's dont have a real high compression ratio to begin with. In Colorado, I could start my 500 while sitting.

 

[poster72]

Hey all, not sure what a spodefest is exactly. But anytime I can get together and ride with some other folks im in. Is there a date set for this?

Cory

 

[Trev250]

HMS- If you liked the Rampart trails try out the Divide trail system. It has alot of the same style of trail just alot more of it. Just be careful it's easy to get lost out there. If you ever want to ride up there we go up usually twice a week.

 

[Rodzilla]

Originally posted by Trev250
HMS- If you liked the Rampart trails try out the Divide trail system. It has alot of the same style of trail just alot more of it. Just be careful it's easy to get lost out there.

Yea don't you love the fact that ALL of the trails are marked 717?

Go to Thundertrail.com for great maps of the area.

Rod

 

[Trev250]

Is Taylor in the Pike National Forest? If so this whole idea may be canned cause it will probably be off limits the rest of the summer! :( :| :think: :debil:

Trev

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

No, it's in the Gunnison Forest. Pike is sorta limited to the front range, that is the farthest east slope from Pikes Peak north. I can't say, but I think they are north still of the Rampart Range trails, which are on the front range from north of Pikes peak/Colorado Springs to Castle Rock, which is still south of Denver. There may be severe restrictions put on people camping anywhere in Co. though, Several years back when they had some fires, you couldnt even burn a gas grill outside. It was pouring down rain and cold, we sat around our citrinella buckets, as if they were campfires. It took the beauricrats two weeks to lift the burn ban, they did not want to be politically blamed for anything.

 

[geremacheks]

So are there any fires near the Gunnison Nat. forest area?

 

[CO Dan]

No fires near Gunnison or Taylor Park as of now.

ALL outdoor fires, including charcoal grills, are banned as of now.

If we get out usual rains in mid July, the fire ban will be lifted then. But as of now, I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Trev250]

Startin' to look like we aren't gonna have a spodefest this year, huh. Oh well sure would have been fun. :(

 

[MTRIDER]

If anyone is interested we'll be in Taylor Park area on Sunday nite (14th) and probably ride for 2-3 days (If we can survive on Turkey samichs) Look for an 01 yz 250 Kdx 200 or xr 400

Mike T

 

[geremacheks]

Never too late------Anybody interested in resurrecting this Gunnison/Taylor Park ride for 2003? Maybe we can make it work this year. Anybody?

 

[Road/Dirt Rash]

I will be in Pitkin from the 7th to the 21st of july. BUT, I have gone over to the dark side, I will only have my four wheeler with me. Well I will also have my wife. Loren, if you are coming, we are staying at the same place you did last year.. Les

 

[W.P.EXC]

If your gonna do this thing you need to set a date and a general camping area and just go with it. It seems to hard to coordinate a date with a million people who wanna go, seems that was the stick in the wheel the last time was everyone wanted to go at different times and it never got finalized. Pick a weekend and anyone who can will show up.

 

[W.P.EXC]

Ok I'm gonna chime in here one more time cuz I'd love to see this thing happen. I'm not interested in organizing this thing but have a few ideas if someone out there wants to take the lead. First set a date and stick with it, second set an area for everyone to camp, I would suggest the upstream side of the reservoir in the large grassy areas next to the river, there is also a designated camp ground right there too. Then whoever is taking the lead show up a day or so earlier and set up a big ol flag so everyone knows where to go to get info. then have 3 or 4 different trail rides set up for different skill levels, and of course someone who knows the area to go on each of these rides so everyone doesn't get lost! Or you could just set a date and a general location and everyone could show up and do there own thing and ride where ever they want Easy right? So who's gonna be the lead man and pick the date and set all this up?